A Funny Thing Happened to Me on the Way to Desecrating the Sabbath
In 2000 my car was impounded for something stupid. Wait, let me reiterate here. It was multi-level stupid. It was stupid/crazy that you just knew had to act as the impetus for some kind of chain reaction. Like a sling-shot into a pit filled with explosives. All it took was one hit and my whole world exploded apart.
Was a day in the autumn - Shabbat and I was looking forward to taking in as many yard sales as I could. It was a favorite pastime. I'd scan the local paper for whatever sales appealed, namely books, crystals and music. It was my way of seeing the Catskills and of course it was always the way God spoke to me. There was a good looking yard sale happening a few minutes away from me down the mountain and across the road and for a worthy cause to boot, an animal rescue. What could be better? I'd be in and out fast, the selection would probably be decent and the prices el cheapo. Perfect. The fact that my insurance had lapsed and my license still wasn't renewed wasn't a problem. I was driving without these pesky documents for a couple of weeks now. Why I didn't renew them, now eludes me. Why, indeed. But I figured, I'm a good driver, don't have any outstanding warrants - so go for it Joy.
And so I got in the blue chariot, hiked up the music to a good volume and chugged down the road onto my destination. In a few minutes I was there. A good sized crowd milling around the lawn outside of a building and one huge chestnut tree shading a huge portion of the scene. I turned the car left to get into the parking area and started looking for a space. There was a narrow spot but I figured no problem. So I inched my way in - and wouldn't you know - I bumped up against the car on the right and gave it a good but minor whack. Sh*t. No way. Yes way. But no one will see. I will inch a bit up, get out and make like nothing.
So I slide out go onto the lawn and start looking around, noticed a book about assertiveness, picked it up when all of a sudden this man taps me on the back and says: *Do you think you can bang someone's car like that and just walk away?* *um. no.* Please don't make a scene. OMG. OMG. OMG. And then a crowd starts forming and the woman whose car it was steps up and now I start freaking out. We go back to the cars and she shows me the damage I caused and now I might've started crying and yammering about how I didn't have insurance or a valid license for that matter...and how can I pay her. Please don't call the............cops. And next thing I know the cops pull up and I feel like my soul is departing. I just got really really light and my heart started fluttering all around inside and I figured this is it. And they do their police thing, call in to find out about the license and insurance, find out there are none and tell me straight up - *ma'am we're going to have to impound your car.* And at that moment, right there, I don't know where it came from - there was this resolve - that no matter what was going down from that minute onward I was going to make it the most blissful, blessed and most incredible thing - EVER.
I asked to take some things from the car - got all my tapes and essentials that I had in there, gave it a silent goodbye and watched the tow-guy hook her up. The car groaned its metallic cries, and I was wondering how I'd get back home. Some family was getting in their van and I asked if I could hitch a ride up to Glasco Tpke. Sure. And the whole way I'm blabbering about giving guitar lessons, still giddy and slightly hysterical from the whole episode. I walked. WALKED into the driveway of the complex I called home for a year and went inside the apartment. Shaking. But still weirdly not of this world. Now what? I called my friend Amy in Israel. Told her what happened and she was sympathetic and oh wow. And I told her that this was going to be the best thing that ever happened to me. Just see. And put down the phone. I just had to hear myself say it out loud.
I was grounded. Literally and metaphorically. It was heading into winter, I was 2 miles out of town and groceries and errands were going to be a real challenge. Getting in and over the snow and ice on my bike didn't look like an option. But I'd take one day at a time and see. I'd ridden in all kinds of weather. Snowstorms and rainstorms. I knew how to maneuver in bad weather. Had a good poncho and a good grip. This was going to take a whole lot of planning and also expanding my network, talking to people more, asking for rides. Opening up to new possibilities and getting real humble.
Then it hit me that I was going to be staying around a whole lot now. And maybe there was something here that I needed to learn. And maybe it was only by sticking around, regularly, with the times, seasons and pace of the sun, moon and stars that I'd get to learn that lesson.
My wings were clipped and my chariot was gone. I was also now facing court and needed a lawyer.
I'd be needing to face reality, consequences, responsibility and learning how to open my senses. In terms of breaking the Law of Keeping the Shabbat holy, I was being corrected in the most perfectly designed meting of Justice. And all I could do was bow my head and keep true to my word that I would remember. So the learning began.
more in another post.
Was a day in the autumn - Shabbat and I was looking forward to taking in as many yard sales as I could. It was a favorite pastime. I'd scan the local paper for whatever sales appealed, namely books, crystals and music. It was my way of seeing the Catskills and of course it was always the way God spoke to me. There was a good looking yard sale happening a few minutes away from me down the mountain and across the road and for a worthy cause to boot, an animal rescue. What could be better? I'd be in and out fast, the selection would probably be decent and the prices el cheapo. Perfect. The fact that my insurance had lapsed and my license still wasn't renewed wasn't a problem. I was driving without these pesky documents for a couple of weeks now. Why I didn't renew them, now eludes me. Why, indeed. But I figured, I'm a good driver, don't have any outstanding warrants - so go for it Joy.
And so I got in the blue chariot, hiked up the music to a good volume and chugged down the road onto my destination. In a few minutes I was there. A good sized crowd milling around the lawn outside of a building and one huge chestnut tree shading a huge portion of the scene. I turned the car left to get into the parking area and started looking for a space. There was a narrow spot but I figured no problem. So I inched my way in - and wouldn't you know - I bumped up against the car on the right and gave it a good but minor whack. Sh*t. No way. Yes way. But no one will see. I will inch a bit up, get out and make like nothing.
So I slide out go onto the lawn and start looking around, noticed a book about assertiveness, picked it up when all of a sudden this man taps me on the back and says: *Do you think you can bang someone's car like that and just walk away?* *um. no.* Please don't make a scene. OMG. OMG. OMG. And then a crowd starts forming and the woman whose car it was steps up and now I start freaking out. We go back to the cars and she shows me the damage I caused and now I might've started crying and yammering about how I didn't have insurance or a valid license for that matter...and how can I pay her. Please don't call the............cops. And next thing I know the cops pull up and I feel like my soul is departing. I just got really really light and my heart started fluttering all around inside and I figured this is it. And they do their police thing, call in to find out about the license and insurance, find out there are none and tell me straight up - *ma'am we're going to have to impound your car.* And at that moment, right there, I don't know where it came from - there was this resolve - that no matter what was going down from that minute onward I was going to make it the most blissful, blessed and most incredible thing - EVER.
I asked to take some things from the car - got all my tapes and essentials that I had in there, gave it a silent goodbye and watched the tow-guy hook her up. The car groaned its metallic cries, and I was wondering how I'd get back home. Some family was getting in their van and I asked if I could hitch a ride up to Glasco Tpke. Sure. And the whole way I'm blabbering about giving guitar lessons, still giddy and slightly hysterical from the whole episode. I walked. WALKED into the driveway of the complex I called home for a year and went inside the apartment. Shaking. But still weirdly not of this world. Now what? I called my friend Amy in Israel. Told her what happened and she was sympathetic and oh wow. And I told her that this was going to be the best thing that ever happened to me. Just see. And put down the phone. I just had to hear myself say it out loud.
I was grounded. Literally and metaphorically. It was heading into winter, I was 2 miles out of town and groceries and errands were going to be a real challenge. Getting in and over the snow and ice on my bike didn't look like an option. But I'd take one day at a time and see. I'd ridden in all kinds of weather. Snowstorms and rainstorms. I knew how to maneuver in bad weather. Had a good poncho and a good grip. This was going to take a whole lot of planning and also expanding my network, talking to people more, asking for rides. Opening up to new possibilities and getting real humble.
Then it hit me that I was going to be staying around a whole lot now. And maybe there was something here that I needed to learn. And maybe it was only by sticking around, regularly, with the times, seasons and pace of the sun, moon and stars that I'd get to learn that lesson.
My wings were clipped and my chariot was gone. I was also now facing court and needed a lawyer.
I'd be needing to face reality, consequences, responsibility and learning how to open my senses. In terms of breaking the Law of Keeping the Shabbat holy, I was being corrected in the most perfectly designed meting of Justice. And all I could do was bow my head and keep true to my word that I would remember. So the learning began.
more in another post.
Comments